Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United States and Guatemala

Name: Guatemala
Address: GT

For one person, living is cheaper in Guatemala: $1,352 a month against $2,701 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $16,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

133

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Guatemala
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Guatemala Living Index

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🇺🇸 United States

$2,701

/mo nomad

🇬🇹 Guatemala

$1,352

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the United States and in Guatemala

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in the United States and in Guatemala actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,701 in the United States versus $1,352 in Guatemala.

United States $2,701
Guatemala $1,352

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,980 in the United States versus $2,108 in Guatemala.

United States $3,980
Guatemala $2,108

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,258 in the United States versus $2,865 in Guatemala.

United States $5,258
Guatemala $2,865

Living in the United States is roughly 100% more expensive than in Guatemala on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: the United States 100% above, Guatemala 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.92 $19.92

$7.87 Q 60.1

153.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.0 $81.0

$49.36 Q 377

64.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$8.09 Q 61.9

49.20%

Cappuccino

$5.55 $5.55

$3.60 Q 27.55

54.17%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.37 Q 10.47

94.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.15 Q 8.83

81.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.96 $5.96

$3.29 Q 25.14

81.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.76 $7.76

$5.36 Q 41.00

44.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$2.04 Q 15.63

-48.53%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$3.29 Q 25.12

7.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$2.06 Q 15.77

125.24%

Eggs

$4.18 $4.18

$2.46 Q 18.83

69.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.76 $12.76

$5.98 Q 45.76

113.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.63 $12.63

$9.92 Q 75.9

27.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.22 $17.22

$12.39 Q 94.7

38.98%

Apples (1kg)

$5.15 $5.15

$4.14 Q 31.65

24.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.96 Q 14.98

-16.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.46 $4.46

$4.37 Q 33.43

2.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$1.66 Q 12.72

200.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.84 $2.84

$1.84 Q 14.08

54.35%

Onion (1kg)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.15 Q 16.47

43.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 $2.19

$0.82 Q 6.24

167.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.21 Q 9.23

87.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.61 $10.61

$4.01 Q 30.65

164.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.71 $14.71

$8.34 Q 63.7

76.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$2.33 Q 17.81

-9.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 $3.82

$3.11 Q 23.79

22.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.98 Q 15.16

18.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.1 $64.1

$14.19 Q 109

351.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 $3.57

$5.17 Q 39.53

-30.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 $1.85

$1.72 Q 13.18

7.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.19 $30.19

$10.66 Q 81.5

183.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.33 Q 10.16

-19.55%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$35.3K $35.3K

$21.4K Q 163.3K

65.21%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.9K $25.9K

$24.6K Q 188.1K

5.30%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$217 $217

$71.0 Q 543

205.04%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$61.4 $61.4

$31.74 Q 243

93.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.4 $74.4

$51.3 Q 392

44.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.08 $45.08

$41.40 Q 317

8.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.07 $23.07

$15.49 Q 118

48.93%

Cinema Ticket

$14.79 $14.79

$6.60 Q 50.5

124.09%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,480 $1,480

$356 Q 2,722

315.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.5K $25.5K

$7,545 Q 57.7K

237.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.0 $53.0

$47.46 Q 363

11.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$49.39 Q 378

-13.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 $94.3

$106 Q 811

-11.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 $115

$106 Q 812

8.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$834 Q 6,378

101.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,313 $1,313

$504 Q 3,851

160.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,649 $2,649

$1,578 Q 12.1K

67.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,183 $2,183

$903 Q 6,903

141.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,374 $3,374

$2,306 Q 17.6K

46.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,661 $2,661

$1,122 Q 8,581

137.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,404 $4,404

$641 Q 4,899

587.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

11.62

-43.63%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for the United States: October 10, 2026

Last update for Guatemala: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

United States

$1.3K 48.6%

Guatemala

$504 37.3% 61.6% $810

Groceries & Markets

United States

$411 15.2%

Guatemala

$297 21.9% 27.8% $114

Monthly Utilities & Internet

United States

$352 13%

Guatemala

$154 11.4% 56.3% $198

Eating Out

United States

$327 12.1%

Guatemala

$168 12.4% 48.7% $159

Clothing & Footwear

United States

$137 5.1%

Guatemala

$139 10.3% 1.2% $1.7

Getting Around

United States

$86 3.2%

Guatemala

$36 2.7% 58.4% $50

Sport & Entertainment

United States

$75 2.8%

Guatemala

$55 4% 26.9% $20

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,609 in the United States, $174 in Guatemala. Capital cities: $2,730 in Washington, DC vs $828 in Guatemala City.

National salary averages: $4,533 in the United States, $745 in Guatemala. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 825% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 60% more in the United States.

Public transport is 2600% more expensive in the United States.

Salaries are 508% higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇺🇸 United States

🇬🇹 Guatemala

🕒 Local time

19:14 7:14 PM

17:14 5:14 PM

2 h behind the United States

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,110,988

17,263,239

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Guatemalan Quetzal GTQ Q

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 GTQ = 0.131 USD

1 GTQ = 0.116 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GTQ, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇬🇹 Guatemalan Quetzal (Q)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Guatemalan Quetzal exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 7.65 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.131 USD). 1 EUR = 8.6 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.116 EUR).

GTQ to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

United States Guatemala 2,360 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

United States
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

United States vs Guatemala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,352 per month in Guatemala and $2,701 in the United States, there's a 100% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is cheaper in Guatemala: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,609 in the United States and $174 in Guatemala. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In Guatemala, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in the United States it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: Guatemala wins on affordability; the United States may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.